converting the jewish prophet and jewish physicians 127
Abdi Pasha wrote the only contemporary Ottoman account of ShabbataiTzevi’s movement and conversion:
Previously a rabbi from Izmir appeared. When the Jews showed
excessive inclination toward him, he was banished to the fortress
of the straits in order to repulse disorder. But Jews also gathered
there. Since according to their false beliefs, their saying “this is our
prophet” reached the point of being the cause of social corruption
and disturbance of the peace, the rabbi was summoned to appear in
Edirne by order of the sultan. On Thursday the sixteenth a council
was convened in the New Pavilion under the imperial gaze, and there
the deputy grand vizier, sheikhulislam, and Vani Efendi interro-
gated the aforementioned rabbi. His eminence, our majestic sultan,
watched and listened to the proceedings secretly from a window.
After all the talk, the rabbi denied all the nonsense said about him.
They proposed that he embrace Islam. When they ended their speech
saying “after this council there is no possibility for escape: either
come to the faith, or you will be immediately put to death. Become
a Muslim at last, and we will intercede for you with our gracious
sultan,” the rabbi, with the guidance of God, the King who forgives,
at that time became shown the right path, ennobled with the light of
faith and a believer responsible to God. From the exalted gracious-
ness of the Chosroes-like sultan a salaried position at the Middle Gate
valued at 1 50 akçe was deemed proper for him. At that time he was
placed in the bath of the inner palace pages where he was given new
clothes. He was dressed in a fur and a cloak of honor, and a purse of
aspers was also bestowed upon him. His companion who came to
Islam with him at this time was given the gift of an usher position
from the exalted imperial favor.^19The rabbi, who at the beginning of the story appears as the prophet of Jews, be-
comes by its end a palace gatekeeper who fi rmly believes not his own prophecy,
but in Muhammad’s calling. At fi rst he was banished for false belief, but when
he acquired true belief he was brought into the most intimate space of the em-
pire, the inner palace. His journey on the right path took him from Izmir, to
the Dardanelles, to the sultan’s side. Along the way he exchanged the dress of
a rabbi for the garments of the most esteemed members of society. And he did
not convert alone: of those disloyal, seditious Jews who disrupted public order,
one joined him in royal service. The two journeyed from being rebels against
the sultan and religion to members of the faith who were trusted to serve the
sultan in his residence.